The Taste of Lament
by Hearts of Stone
Summary: After the 4 clans moved, WindClan's ruler is cruel to his clan and hurts his own daughter, Sagewind for fun. But when Sagewind forgets her past 5 months, she finds two kits claiming to be hers, and only a name to go by, Shadowlament.
1. Chapter 1

The taste of Lament

Windclan

Leader: Redstar

Deputy: Rowanfire

Medicine cat: Crowflight

Warriors:

Heronflash: beautiful gray she-cat

Lionhawk: golden tom

Apprentice: Daisypaw

Hawkheart: white tom with gray splotches, and ice blue eyes, formerly of Shadowclan

Raineye: black and white tom

Amberclaw: beautiful amber she-cat

_Apprentice: Runningpaw_

Shorttail: tom with frosty coat and small tail, oldest warrior

Ashroot: dark gray she-cat with abnormally long claws

Apprentice: Sagepaw

Queens:

Willowfur: white she-cat, mate of Redstar

Mother of Sagepaw and Daisypaw, Firekit and Goldenkit

Risingstorm: gray cat with amber eyes

Mother of Runningpaw and Raineye, Hollykit and Stormkit and Blazekit.

Elders:

Ringingneck- old grumpy tom, father of Willowfur

Mossheart- once beautiful dappled she-cat

Bravefur: once beautiful black and white she-cat, mother of Willowfur

Apprentices:

Daisypaw: bright yellow she-cat

Runningpaw: rusty brown tom, was hurt terribly and denied his warrior ceremony for a couple more moons.

Sagepaw: the newest apprentice, icy gray she-cat

Prologue

"Are you sure Barkface?" asked Tallstar. The old medicine cat nodded solemnly. "She is the one. The one who will save the clan." Each cat nodded to each other.

"I am receiving a sign…" mewed the brown tom. "_There will be one Redstar, kin of yourself who will hold the power of the stars in her paws, the powers of a true warrior._ So let it be written, so let it be done." Whispered the cat. They watched the star of prophecy descend towards the clan's camp, and into the den of Redstar.

Chapter 1

Redstar awoke with a jolt feeling slightly anguished to know who the prophesized cat was. Quick as lightning he was in the medicine den, Crowflight was sitting upright sorting herbs. "You're up early Redstar," he was taken aback by how early Crowflight was up, but then he realized StarClan had chosen him to be the medicine cat with not sleep, he never seemed to be tired.

"I must speak with Yewpool, immediately."

Crowflight nodded, "You had the sign too. I see. Well, come on, the den is this way." He twitched his tail beckoning the new leader forward.

Redstar pulled back his lips at the apprentice, anger rippling through his fur. How dare this apprentice insult him with denying him time with Yewpool. Crowflight shook his head. "Take it or leave it. But if you refuse to speak with me I have to show you the way out."

"Why do I have to speak with you, Crowpaw?" he growled. Crowflight shook his head. "Because I am the clans medicine cat."

"No, you're only the apprentice. Now, where is Yewpool."

"Redstar, while you were away on StarClan's mission, Yewpool died, you heard yesterday, I thought at least." Redstar was so full of rage. How could this kit become the medicine cat? He was the rudest cat ever. He knew how to push every cat's buttons. But he realized that it was better to tell someone than no one at all.

"Crowflight, I had a dream, Tallstar came to me and told me _There will be one Redstar, kin of yourself, who will hold the power of the star in her paws, the powers of a true warrior._ I was thinking they spoke of Daisypaw. Crowflight shook his head. "Redstar, what you must know is not to make assumptions of StarClan's prophecies. I have always looked at the prophecies and let them play out before making any ideas at all, just watch what happens and you will understand in time." The leader bristled and he let out a hiss of rage.

"How dare you?" the leader turned and marched out of the large den, head held high.

The morning dawned clear and sunlight sparkeled down from StarClan itself, as Sagepaw could see. Daisypaw was sucking up to her mentor, Lionhawk, who was completely infatuated by his apprentice, as every cat could see. Ashroot came padding up to Sagepaw, "Ready for a training session?" she asked, her tail twitching irritably. Ever since the Clans had to leave the lake Ashroot had missed her old home, now all the territories surrounded a abandoned Two-leg nest. Sagepaw had only been a tiny kit in the nursery when they had left and now could only imagine living in her new home. ThunderClan bordered them to the right, and ShadowClan to the left, the ones on the right never caused trouble, and the ones on the left always did.

Ashroot dragged her apprentice out into the middle of the territory and stood in front of her. "What do you smell?" growled the she-cat.

"Fox, stale though, fish, stale again, ThunderClan, stale, and ShadowClan, new." Her eyes flew wide open. "Ashroot!" she meowed softly.

"Its not your fault they were here, lets inform Redstar."

"ShadowClan? In our territory?" mewled Redstar, his fur standing on end. "Its time to end this once and for all. Heronflash, Raineye, Amberclaw, Shorttail we're invading ShadowClan!" howled the leader.

"Redstar," spoke Sagepaw timidly. "What if ShadowClan is looking for help, don't you think we should listen to what they have to say before going attacking them?"

The leader rounded on her. "How dare you? You piece of mousedung!" the apprentice readied herself for a battering and she got one. Redstar flew at her, biting into her shoulder. Everyone stood frozen, frightened to death. Daisypaw leapt to her sister's aid at once, without hesitation. She tore at her father's shoulder until he snapped out of his trance. Sagepaw lay on the ground twitching, her side opened in a bloody gash. Willowfur ran to her kit, but Redstar stopped her with his tail. "Don't try to comfort her, she's a lost cause. Come Daisypaw." He beckoned his daughter with a look. Daisypaw simply stared up at him. "Obey me at once, not only am I your leader I am your father." Ice pierced in his voice.

"You're no father of mine." She spun around and nuzzled her sister up so that she could stand. Daisypaw's mentor leaped quickly to her aid. Crowflight looked solemnly at their leader.

"You have broken the warrior code, Redstar, how could you? You hurt your own daughter. You can't do this, you may be my leader but there is more to leading than killing." The medicine cat helped Daisypaw and Lionhawk carry Sagepaw inside his den.


	2. Chapter 2

I forgot to add disclaimer at the beginning of first chapter… sorry

Bear with me here comes the excruciatingly boring stuff

I do not own any of the rights to this.

Well actually that wasn't that bad… oh well

Oh yeah, I might not be able to write all the time, so please bear with me when months fly by when I am loaded with homework and such. I'll mostly be writing over school vacations

and days off and they don't happen too often. So please stay with me.

Sorry about the boring stuff.

Chapter 2

Over the next few days Sagepaw healed, she was used to treatment like that. It reminded her of how the oldest leader ever, Firestar (yes he is still alive) told her of Tigerstar his rival. It

had been many moons ago when Tigerstar had committed tyranny and decided that he forest was now his. Of course he was murdered by Scourge who was then killed by Firestar.

Sagepaw knew that her father was the cruelest cat in the clan, but she could not oppose him, he was her father as well as clan leader, didn't the warrior code state that there was no

going behind your leader's back?

Crowflight entered his den and looked over Sagepaw. "You're good to go my friend." He licked her and she stood. After a week of lying on her backside she was a little wobbly on her

paws but she still managed to stride out of the den with her tail held high. Lionhawk was speaking with Daisypaw, who was all but drooling over her attraction to him. It made Sagepaw

let out a _mrrow_ of amusement.

Runningpaw came dashing up to his den mate before halting right in front of her to lick her ear. "Its so good to have you out of the den! I'm going to be a warrior today. Hopefully if

Redstar agrees. I don't really fancy him as a leader. Do you?" this blabbermouth cat had been denied his warrior ceremony for moons, so Sagepaw could feel sympathetic. But, she couldn't

take him insulting her father. Though he ripped open her side she still loved him and she couldn't help but defend him.

"He's doing the best he can," she hissed. "Ashstar's death was of great loss to all of us, so quit flabbing your gobble and shut up." She whipped around and stalked off toward her

almost-drooling sister. To Runningpaw nothing she just said made sense, especially the flabbing your gobble part. What in the name of StarClan was a gobble anyway? He asked himself

striding over to his mentor.

Ashroot and Sagepaw set out to patrol their borders, along with Hawkheart and Shorttail. The patrol moved swiftly through the tall grasses and arrived at the ShadowClan border

soon enough. They had sent out a similar patrol of three warriors and one apprentice. The apprentice was jet black with a long tail. His mentor, or so it seemed was a tawny she-cat with

bright red eyes. A frightening effect over all. The two other warriors were identical, both blue-gray with a big brown blotch on their backs. The two patrols stopped and looked around.

"You dare cross our border?" hissed the apprentice, looking at Sagepaw menacingly.

"If anything, you and your pals are the one's crossing ours!" she hissed back, hackles raising, it was an odd sight, cats don't normally have very big hackles, hers were enormous.

"Get off our territory!" screeched the apprentice launching himself at Sagepaw, who in return flipped onto her stomach and when he landed on her she bucked him off with her back

legs."This is WindClan territory!" she growled and flung herself on top of the winded apprentice. "And remember to stay away." She slashed at his ear, and before anything else happened

the ShadowClan cats retreated back into their trees. Sagepaw released him and he darted after his clanmates.

"Good job, young one!" Shorttail exclaimed, brushing her lightly on the shoulder. She looked up to him, her eyes grateful.

"Shorttail?" she asked, he looked down at her. "I don't understand, why did they want the moorland? They don't even know how to hunt rabbits." As she spoke she heard a rustling

in the tall, whispering grass. She pounced and brought back a rabbit dripping with blood. "Lets share." The two cats ate in silence until Shorttail answered.

"Of course, StarClan has always wanted us to be peaceful, but some leaders, Redstar and Rockstar especially don't wish to be peaceful, so they attack each other. Plus, we all have

disagreements sometimes, and others we make allies." Ashroot padded over and settled herself next to Shorttail.

She _mrrowed _to clear her throat and began. "I have the most exciting news!" her solemn mentor was almost leaping up and down with excitement. "I'm having Hawkheart's kits!"

"Oh that's wonderful!" Sagepaw was genuinely happy, but she was afraid it might interfere with her training. Well, there were other warriors, and she would have a few moons

before anything really stopped her mentor.

Sagepaw flew at her mentor claws sheathed and Hawkheart sat rooted to the spot. Sagepaw got a good grip on her mentors shoulder with her teeth, barely sinking them in she

went with her instincts. Dragging her mentor down on top of her she pushed up against the tom's muscled stomach and flung Hawkheart off. It wasn't long until she was on top and

pinning him down.

It had been thirteen and a half moons after Sagepaw had been on patrol with Sorttail and Ashroot, it had been six moons since Hawkheart had replaced Ashroot as her mentor.

"Excellent," he licked her ear. He was more fatherly to her than Redstar ever was. Redstar had lost four lives, mostly due to battles with ShadowClan. It had been moons since she

had first seen that Jet black apprentice, but she knew that it was impossible to get him out of her head.

"I think its time you were made a full warrior. Redstar has delayed it long enough, Daisyvine was made one ten moons ago! It should be your turn soon."

Daisyvine was laying next to her mate, Lionhawk, she was glad to no longer be an apprentice so she could be with any cat of her choosing. Redstar had practically forced her on

Shorttail, now resting in the elder's den, five moons ago. But Daisyvine was in love and refused the set up. Sagepaw was proud of her.

Her den mate Runningfoot was itching, she could tell, to confess something to her. But she was not a warrior yet, not old enough or mature enough by her father's standards. She

had made several trips to MoonRuins and went to several gatherings, now she was just taking up space in the apprentice den.

"I Redstar call upon my ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has studied hard to understand the ways of your noble code. From this moment forward you shall be called

Sagewind. We welcome you as a partial warrior of…" Crowflight whispered into his ear. "But she doesn't deserve to be a full warrior of WindClan!" moaned Redstar. "She's a good for

nothing kit who complains so much." Crowflight fixed him with a gaze so formidable that the leader obeyed. "We welcome you as a full warrior of WindClan." He spit out and rested his

muzzle on top of her head, and she licked his shoulder.

"EEEWWW!" he spat. "get your dirty tongue off me!" he hissed. Runningfoot was the first to call her by her new name. "Sagewind, Sagewind!" they all cried. Willowfur licked her kit

until Sagewind had to squirm out of her way.

_A profile of a cat stood in front of her, his tail longer and his eyes bright blue. "Sagewind." His voice soothed her and she looked into his eyes. He licked her nose and head. _

_"Runningfoot will wonder." She mewed softly. _

_"Let him wonder." The mystery cat mewed in her ear. _

Sagewind woke with a start, breathing heavily. Runningfoot sat up too, he was leaning against her. "What is it?" he asked, licking her ear.

"Nothing, Runningfoot. Nothing at all." She fell back into a slumber in his paws.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing, if I did, the warrior series wouldn't have descended into total horribleness.

PLEASE FORGIVE ME!! I have had the most major writers block in the world. I can't believe how hard it has been for me to get over it! Though I did find a song to spark my imagination, so I am

trying to get over the hump.

* * *

Chapter 3

Sagewind woke the next morning, finding the side of the moss that Runningfoot usually occupied was empty. She went outside to see it was nearly sun high, why hadn't anyone woken her. She

padded around camp to find it all empty, not even Crowflight was in his den. Sagewind was puzzled to as why no one was in camp. She searched the boundaries and found paw marks along the

ground at the east entrance. She followed the scent, and being the best tracker found the group.

"Come on, Heartkit, we will fall behind the group." Sagewind's mother glanced up from the tired kit to see her daughter. "I cannot believe what you have done."

"I don't think I did anything. What did I do?"

"You don't remember, do you?"

"What is it?"

"You don't remember the past five moons… You must have lost the memory of the battle."

"What battle?"

"Five months ago was your first gathering, you were young, happy, and confused at one of your dreams. Runningfoot was infatuated by you and you seemed to return his fancies just fine.

You watched the pompous ShadowClan cats walk by and you saw one, the black apprentice you had met at the border. He was there and looking very rude. You went up to him and spoke with

him…" Sagewind couldn't hear anymore as her mind was taken into a flashback

_"What do you want? Filthy WindClan." He hissed at her. She mewed back softly:_

_"Just a talk."_

_"Oh," He looked down, ashamed of himself. "Did you have the dreams, too?"_

_"Dreams… I had one, but it couldn't have been a prophecy."_

_"Was there a mysterious cat in there?"_

_"Yeah, did you snuggle up to yours?" _

_"Yeah. I don't know why, but mind looked reminiscent of you. Maybe we should talk later, we should meet here tomorrow so we can say more, the gathering is about to start." Sagewind nodded and moved _

_away, but as she was leaving, she turned._

_"What's your name?"_

_"Shadowlament."_

_"Oh, my name's Sagewind."_

_"That reminds me of the thistles rustling in the breeze. It's beautiful." She mewed her thanks and left to sit by Runningfoot. _

_"ShadowClan, you have been stealing our prey!" Redstar hissed at Darkstar._

_"We have not!" Shadowlament screeched at Redstar from below the high stump. _

_"Shadowlament!" Snapped Darkstar. "This is not your fight. Please, Redstar, can we be peaceful here."_

_"Never!" Firestar stepped between the two leaders who were no longer sitting. _

_"THAT IS ENOUGH! We must not enrage StarClan." Water began to pour down from the heavens as if agreement with Firestar, sending their word that the gathering had ended._

_"WINDCLAN, move out! Sagewind, you piece of scum, I think an adequate punishment for you is to stay here all night."_

_"What did she do?" Daisyvine shot her mew at her father._

_"She was born." He roared. "WindClan move out. Sagewind, you stay here."_

_"It's okay, Daisyvine, don't break the warrior code for me. Keep up your reputation with father. It's okay, I don't mind. StarClan will protect me." Sagewind nuzzled her sister and Daisyvine left, but looked _

_constantly back at her sister until her littermate's sitting figure was out of sight. _

_"Well, looks like we'll be together tonight."_

_"Shadowlament, why are you here?"_

_"Darkstar told me to stay, not supposed to start arguments at gatherings. What you here for?" He lay down under the canopy of trees._

_"My father, Redstar, punishes me for the weirdest things. Back when I was an apprentice he attacked me for defending your smell being in our territory. He tried to make me a partial warrior of WindClan _

_and he left me here because, well, I was born."_

_"Ooo, harsh. No wonder WindClan is in such disarray."_

_"Exactly." She began to shiver. _

_"Come over here, we can share warmth." Though she was sure it would give Redstar to kill her, she lay down next to him, sharing his warmth. There she fell asleep._

Sagepaw opened her eyes, and saw her mother was gone, but Firekit and Goldenkit were lying at Sagewind's feet. Or… they looked like Firekit and Goldenkit, both with jet black fur, but they

looked different. And they were way too young to be her siblings.

"Who are you?"

"Mommy!" They leaped on her and began to scratch her and lick her with affection.

_Mommy, _the word rung through her head. Not sure what to make of it, she picked herself up, and urged the kits, who seemed confused, to follow her. Her paws led her in an unfamiliar direction,

but she realized where she was going, the gathering stump.

_She woke the next morning to find no Shadowlament next to her, just an empty space, splattered with blood. And they weren't at the gathering stump, they were by Moonruins. _ She looked up,

_Shadowlament. _

"Who is your mother?" She looked urgently at the kits and they looked up at her curiously.

"You." They said in unison.

"Who was your father?"

"Shadowlament."

* * *

**End of Chapter 3**

Please, please, please forgive me for the writer's block.


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